Convertible baffle support unit for staggered stack bottle or can vender



W. A. J. SCHUMACHER CONVERTIBLE BAFFLE SUPPORT UNIT FOR 5 3,454,193"TAGGERED Ju ly 8, 1969 STACK BOTTLE 0R CAN VENDER Filed Feb. 26, 1968INVENTOR Warner 4.41. Schumacher' United States Patent US. Cl. 221-67 11Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dispensing machine for successivelydelivering either bottled or canned beverages from a staggered stackarrangement in respective product columns and having structure forsupporting the rear bafile of each column to permit shifting of thebafile from a bottle accommodating position to a shorter can locationwithout the use of tools or necessity of dismantling components of themachine. When converting each column from bottle to can dispensing,baffie hangers normally stored on the back wall of the column areaflixed to each upper baflie bracket in forwardly projectingrelationship therefrom with each hanger having members projectingoutwardly therefrom to present recesses for receiving the upper tabs ofthe bafile to support the latter while at the same time place a bias onthe baffle to force the bottom part thereof toward the rear wall of thecolumn. A W-shaped Wire retainer pivotally mounted on each rear wall isselectively shiftable from an out-of-the-way position to a locationengaging the baflle when supported by the hangers to maintain the bafliein an upright position.

This invention relates to a dispensing machine for successivelydelivering either bottled or canned beverages from a plurality ofupright stacks thereof in staggered relationship for most efficientutilization of the storage capacity of the machine, and is especiallydirected to the provision of simple, inexpensive and readily convertiblestructure for supporting the rear bafile of each product column in alocation forwardly of the normal disposition thereof for bottle vending,when it is desired to convert the machine to can vending form.

For many years, prepackaged beverages have for the most part been vendedin bottled form because of the ease with which the containers could behandled in the machine, the relative uniformity between the bottles,especially of the same type and size, and the low cost of the glassbottles because of their reuse over and over. Furthermore, bottlers havefor the most part been set up to refill glass bottles with automaticequipment and considerable capital investment has been made in fillingand capping machines.

In recent years though, as labor costs in particular have outdistancedthe costs of beverages and the containers therefor of the throw-awaytype, the ratio of bottle to non-bottle dispensing machines has changeddramatically. The trend in this respect is attributable to advancementsin the throwaway containers which have been developed permitting theopening thereof without 3,454,193 Patented July 8, 1969 accessoryopeners. This is especially true insofar as metal containers areconcerned with the advent of cans made entirely or partially of aluminumand having structure in the top thereof permitting manual openingwithout a key.

The swing toward can venders has required manufacturers to develop andoffer machines for dispensing cans and problems have arisen in thisrespect because of the difference in length between bottles and cans.Since the costs in connection with dispensing machines themselves haverisen, competition has made it necessary to produce a single machinewhich is capable of dispensing either bottles or cans at the selectionof the operator. However, because of the frequency of change of locationof the machines and the desirability of varying the nature of theproduct dispensed at any one location, it is necessary that the machinebe readily convertible from can to bottle dispensing, or vice versa, ina minimum of time and preferably without the use of hand tools or thenecessity of dismantling various components of the machine.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide adispensing machine for successively delivering either bottled or cannedbeverages from a staggered stack arrangement in respective productcolumns and having structure for supporting the rear baffle of eachcolumn in a manner to permit shifting of the baffle from a bottleaccommodating position to a location adapting the column for receivingshorter cans without the use of tools or of dismantling variouscomponents of the machine.

A typical staggered stack vending machine for dispensing either bottledor canned beverages is illustrated in Patent No. 3,231,129. However, asshown in this patent, the mechanism is not readily convertible back andforth from bottles to cans or cans to bottles. This is particularly trueas to the rear wall structure of each product column which mustnecessarily abut the ends of the containers to maintain the same in therequired relationship to the article release devices underlying thestaggered stacks of bottles or cans. Since bottles are of substantiallygreater length than cans, it is necessary that the rear wall bepositioned in one location for bottles and then moved forwardlytherefrom for cans. It has been conventional for some time to provide ashiftable bafile adjacent the rear part of each column and carried by ahanger having a series of slots therein for receiving opposed tabs onthe baffle, so that the disposition thereof front to rear of acorresponding column may be altered depending on the length of aparticular bottle.

However, it has not been practical to extend the length of these slottedbrackets so that the baflFle could be moved forwardly a sufficientdistance to accomodate cans in the column, because the brackets wouldthen interfere with the vending of bottles from the machine.

It is therefore a very important object of the invention to providebaffle supporting structure for the product columns of a staggered stackdispensing machine which includes hangers that may be stored on the rearWall of a respective column when the machine is set up for bottledelivery, but which can be mounted on the baflle brackets carried byopposed side Walls of the respective column and extending forwardly fromthe brackets in disposition to receive and support the baffle in a canaccommodating location. In this respect, it is another important objectof the invention to provide hangers described having projecting memberthereon located in disposition to define recesses for receiving tabs atthe upper end of the baffle to suspend the latter from the hangers whileat the same time providing a bias on the baffle so as to force the lowerpart thereof rearwardly of the column and obviate the necessity ofproviding supports at the lower extremity of each bafile.

A still further object of the invention is to provide hangers forsupporting the baffle when it is desired to convert the dispensingmachine to can operation, that are of such nature that only a singletype of hanger need be fabricated for use on either side wall of thecorresponding product column, thereby lowering the overall cost of theconversion assembly.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an assembly forsupporting each column baffle which includes a substantially W-shapedwire pivotally mounted on the rear wall in disposition such that it maybe swung downwardly into blocking relationship to the lower part of thebaffle when the latter is suspended from the hangers previouslydescribed, so as to maintain the baffle in an upright position.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view with partsbeing broken away for clarity, of one column of a staggered stackdispensing machine showing the support assembly for suspending thecolumn baffle in disposition for delivery of cans from the machine;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional, fragmentary view of the top partof the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, and looking toward the rear ofthe column;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, horizontal cross-sectional view takensubstantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and looking downwardly in thedirection of the arrow;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view similar to FIG.2, but showing the lower part of the column and illustrating thedisposition of the wire blocking element in its stowed position; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the hangersillustrated at the upper part of FIG. 1.

As is apparent from US. Patent No. 3,231,129, staggered stack vendingmachines normally have a series of product receiving columns to provideproduct selectivity and with the delivery of articles from alternatestacks of each column being controlled by release mechanism at the lowerend of each column. The release mechanism has not been shown herein tosimplify the drawings and in view of the fact that the control mechanismforms no part of the present invention.

For ease of construction, a staggered stack dispensing machine isnormally provided with a prefabricated assembly defining a series ofproduct columns, which is then inserted as a unit into the cabinet ofthe machine. The rear wall of this prefabricated column assembly isillustrated in the drawings along with a pair of side walls 12 and 14cooperable therewith to define one column 16 of the machine. Side walls12 and 14 are spaced apart a distance somewhat less than twice thediameter of articles to be delivered from the machine so that sucharticles are maintained in staggered, stacked relationship between theside walls. As previously indicated, and referring to FIG. 3, thearticle release mechanism associated with column 16 is not shown.

Each of the side walls 12 and 14 is conventionally provided with upperand lower baffle brackets 18 and 20 which are generally U-shaped inconfiguration and have outer flanges 22 and 24 which lie flatly againstthe face of the side walls 12 and 14 and are secured thereto byfasteners passing through flanges 22. The central U-shaped section 26 ofupper bracket 18 has a series of parallel, upright slots 28 therein forreceiving corresponding upper tabs 30 of the baffle 32 while the centralU-section 34 of lower brackets 20 has a series of parallel, uprightslots 36 therein which extend only partially through the section toreceive a flange portion of bafile 32 in supporting relationship to thelatter.

It is to be understood that brackets 18 and 20 serve to support thebaffle 32 in disposition to accommodate bottles in column 16 and thatthe baffle is adjusted longitudinally of respective brackets 18 and 20depending upon the length of the bottles to be dispensed from aparticular column. Thus, bottles of different lengths may be dispensedfrom the same machine.

When it is desired to convert the machine from bottle dispensing to canoperation, insofar as the disposition of baflle 32 is concerned, thechange can be made readily and simply without the use of hand tools ordismantling of various components of the machine. Hangers broadlydesignated 38 are affixed to the upper hanger brackets 18, while ablocking wire element broadly enumerated 40 is swung downwardly from thestored position thereof on rear wall 10 as shown in FIG. 4 to theoperative location thereof illustrated in FIG. 1.

Each hanger 38 is of identical construction so as to permit use thereofon either of the side walls 12 and 14 and as a consequence minimizingthe cost of producing the hangers. In addition, the machine operatorneed not concern himself with maintaining a stock of rightand lefthandhangers for various machines.

As is best shown in FIG. 1 and 5, each of the hangers 38 has a generallyU-shaped mounting section 42 which is adapted to be telescoped into theU-shaped section 26 of a corresponding bracket 18. Section 42 isintegral with a generally V-shaped body section 44 having opposed sidemargins 46 and 48 which diverge in a direction away from mountingsection 42. Margins 46 and 48 are turned out in a direction away frombody section 44 to increase the rigidity of the hanger.

A central part of body section 44 is turned out from the plane thereofas illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5 to present an elongated member 50 whichis disposed intermediate margins 46 and 48 and in perpendicularrelationship to a bisector between such margins. A pair of end members52 and 54, integral with body section 44 and turned out of the mainplane thereof in the same direction as member 50, are spaced from thelatter and located at an angle with respect to the longitudinal lengthof member 50. The members 52 and 54 are of the same height as member 50,and are located at acute angles with respect to the longitudinal lengthof members 50 such that the outer ends of members 52 and 54 extend atleast as far as extensions of the longitudinal axis of member 50. Thehanger 38 is provided with the two members 52 and 54 arranged in thesame relationship to member 50, so that a single hanger may befabricated for use on either of the side walls 12 or 14 of column 16.However, it is to be noted that the members 52 and 54 are both locatedin critical relationship with respect to member 50 so as to define arecess for receiving corresponding tabs 30 therebetween as shown inFIG. 1. The angular disposition of the members 52 and 54 relative to thelongitudinal length of member 50 is important so as to provide a bias onbaffle 32 in a counterclockwise direction viewing FIG. 1, so that thelower extremity of the baffle is forced toward rear wall 10'.

A spring retainer 56 fastened to the surface of body section 44 normallyfacing away from the side wall 12 or 14, has an outwardly bent integralleg 58 on the end thereof remote from the fastener for disposition inthe first slot 28 of bracket 18 as shown in FIG. 1. Outwardly bentintegral projections 60 from body section 44 on opposite sides ofretainer 56 maintain the same parallel with longitudinal lengths ofmounting section 42. The major length of retainer 56 is bent outwardlyat a sufiicient angle as shown in FIG. 5 to cause leg 58 to be retainedwithin the first slot 28 until force is applied to the central,outwardly bent segment of retainer 56 to permit leg 58 to clear thechannel-shaped section 26 of bracket 18.

It is also preferred that mounting section 42 of hanger 38 be providedwith a double keyhole slot 62 therein to permit storing of the hangerson a screw 64 carried by ear wall until such time as the hangers aremounted on brackets 18 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

The generally W-shaped blocking element 40 has a pair of opposed,generally J-shaped legs 66 and 68 which are received withincorresponding openings 70 in rear wall 10 so that the element 40 may beswung from a normally stored position as illustrated in FIG. 4, to anoperative location as shown in FIG. 1. The outer straight segments 72and 74 of element 40 integral with the elongated portions of legs 66 and68 are normally positioned to lie against corresponding side walls 12and 14 in generally parallelism therewith, and are adapted to bereceived within generally Z-shaped brackets 76 which thereby haveoutwardly projecting intermediate sections 78 which define' shouldersfor segments 72 and 74. Brackets 76 are normally provided on side walls12 and 14 for holding spacer plates of the type shown in U.S. Patent No.Re. 25,521. These spacer plates are used only for bottle vendingoperations and are removed when the machine is converted to candispensing.

The baflle 32 is shown in the figures in the disposition thereof whereincolumn 16 is adapted to receive cans, and it is to be appreciated thatupon removal of the hangers 38 and swinging of blocking element 40 backtothe stored position thereof as shown in FIG. 4, the bafile 32 isreversed so that the neck divider part 80 thereof faces to the leftviewing FIG. 3 rather than to the right as shown.

In order to provide clearance for the part 80, the central section 82 ofelement 40 is of generally V-shaped configuration with the outer,aligned leg portions 84 thereof integral with segments 72 and 74respectively, extending transversely of column 16 directly in front ofthe brackets 76. In this manner, the leg portions 84 serve as stops forbaffle 32 and the extent of rearward movement of element 40 is limitedby brackets 76. The element 40 thereby serves to maintain baffle 32 in atruly vertical position and it is only necessary to provide suspensionstructure for baffle 32 at the uppermost end thereof.

It can now be appreciated that conversion of the dispensing machine froma bottle operation wherein the bafile 32 is carried by brackets 20 andmaintained in a true vertical position by brackets 18, to a can functionwherein it is necessary to reverse the baflle 32 and move the sameforwardly of brackets 18 and 20, can be effected readily, in a minimumof time and without dismantling any of the components of the machine.The conversion steps involve nothing more than removing baffle 32,inserting hangers 38 in brackets 18, followed by swinging of element 40down into the generally horizontal position thereof, and reinsertion ofbaffle 32 in column 16 in the disposition thereof illustrated in FIG. 3.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for dispensing articles of either a first length or ashorter second length from an upright column adapted to receive a pairof stacks of the articles in staggered relationship and provided with arear baifie and bracket means at the upper and lower ends of the columnadjacent the rear part thereof for removably receiving the baflle tomaintain the latter in a rear position and thus adapt the column forreceiving articles of said first length, the combination with saidcolumn, the bracket means thereon, and said rear baffle of structure forreceiving the baffle to maintain the latter in a forward location andthus adapt the column for receiving articles of said second length, saidstructure comprising:

extension means on the upper part of the column and projecting forwardlyfrom the upper bracket means for receiving said baflle to support thelatter in said location thereof, said extension means having componentsthereon engageable with said baflle for biasing the lower end thereoftoward the rear part of the column; and

blocking means on the lower part of the column engageable with thebaflle in said location thereof to maintain the baffle in generallyupright disposition against said bias thereon.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said extension meanscomprises a pair of hangers removably mounted on and extending forwardlyfrom opposed upper bracket means on the columns.

3. A machine as setforth in claim 2 wherein the upper 'bracket means areconfigured and positioned to present generally horizontal channels openat least at the ends thereof facing forwardly of the column and whereinthe extension hangers have leg sections removably telescoped into thechannels of respective bracket means.

4. A machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said extensionhangers is provided with a V-shaped planar body section integral withthe leg section thereof at the apex portion of the body section, therebeing a first elongated planar member projecting from one face of thebody section remote from said leg section and located intermediate theside margins thereof which converge as said leg section thereof isapproached, said first member being positioned with the longitudinalaxis thereof in perpendicular relationship to a bisector between saidside margins, and a pair of second elongated planar members projectingfrom said face of the body section on opposite sides of said firstmember longitudinally thereof, each of said second members extendinginwardly toward said bisector from the outer extremities of said sidemargins of the body, located at an acute angle with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the first member, and each terminating short of therespective adjacent extremity of said first member, the outer opposedends of each of the second members extending at least as far as anextension of the longitudinal axis of said first member whereby thehangers may be used interchangeably on opposite sidewalls of the column.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein the upper bracket meanseach have at least one upright slot therein for receiving a part of thebaffle therein, and wherein the extension hangers each have a springstop thereon releasably engageable with respective bracket means withinsaid slots therein for securing the hangers to said bracket means andthereby the column.

6. A machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein the baffle has opposedoutwardly extending tabs on the margins thereof located to be receivedin the bracket means on the column when the baifie is in said positionthereof, and wherein each of the extension hangers is provided withmembers thereon presenting a recess for receiving corresponding uppertabs on the bafile.

7. A machine as set forth in claim *6 wherein each of said extensionhangers is provided with a normally upright, elongated first tabengaging member and a second elongated tab engaging member spaced fromthe first member, located at an angle with respect to the longitudinalaxis of such first member to form a recess therebetween for a respectivebaffle tab.

8. A machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said extensionhangers is provided with a normally up right elongated first tabengaging member and a pair of elongated second members disposed toengage a tab and spaced from one another as well as from the firstmember, said second members being on opposite sides of the first memberlongitudinally thereof and located at acute angles with respect to thelongitudinal axis of said first member to form a recess between eachsecond member and the first member for receiving a baffie tab therein.

9. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said column is providedwith a rear wall and said blocking means is pivotally mounted on therear wall for movement from a stowed position substantially against thewall to an operative blocking position extending forwardly ReferencesCited from said rear Wall.

10. A machine as set forth in claim 9 wherein said UNITED STATES PATENTSblocking means comprises a generally W-shaped elemen Re, 25,321 1/1963Torres 22167 with the free ends thereof being pivotally received in the2,836,326 5/1958 Childers 22167 rear wall Or the column. 5 3,231,1291/1966 Craven et al 22167 11. A machine as set forth in claim 10 whereinis pr 3,263,856 8/1966 Gasparini 22l67 vided shoulder means on oppositesides of the column positioned to receive and support said element whenthe latter WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. is shifted to the baflleblocking position thereof. 10

